I’ve been making the rounds at various shops looking for some updates for our full time travels. I am beyond frustrated. I’m proud to say I have hips and boobs. I have measurements that once made men swoon. (My husband still swoons for me, but let’s keep this PG.)

Finding well-fitting clothes has always been a struggle for the “plus-sized”. Even now, when the average size of half the women in the U.S. and Australia is above 14, the label of plus sized still carries a negative stigma among buyers, designers, and the fashion industry as a whole. The industry largely disregards the fact that plus sized now equals the real size of a majority of women. These women have the buying power to spend on clothing that looks good and fits well.

While acceptance is growing for labels to begin marketing to the curvaceous, most larger sized options are still crammed into the back of department stores with styles designed for the likes of Granny. And polyester, no less!

So why am I talking about this, especially on a travel focused blog?

Lately, I’ve seen a few ‘how to pack’ articles that go along the lines of “If you don’t pack it, don’t worry. You can ‘just pick it up’ somewhere on the road.”

Do you know how difficult it is to find a fleece hoodie that fits boobs and hips and doesn’t fit like a garbage bag?

Even if we could ‘just pick it up’, it’s a matter of finding places to do so. The plus sized market is still very much a specialty field. A lot of designs that work well for travel simply aren’t tailored proportionally for larger sized women. They just make larger versions of garments designed for straight sized people.

I was in Ireland in the middle of winter on a business trip. The only clean clothes I had were the ones I was wearing. The rest I dropped off at the local laundromat who screwed up the pick-up time, leaving me with nothing to wear for the following days meetings. I was desperate for something – anything – to wear.

Not surprisingly, I found myself in the back of a department store. I bought a wafer-thin tube skirt which hugged all the wrong places and went ‘pilly’ on that first – and only – wear, because it was the only thing I could ‘just pick up’.

The advice of ‘just pick it up’ reflects the same arrogance that the fashion industry is adhering to. The writers are ignoring the fact that people come in all kinds of different shapes and sizes. They ignore the fact that most travelers plan years in advance to make their travel dreams come true. Long term travelers have to consider every ounce of weight and every dollar they spend.

The writers of these articles remind me of the movie, ‘Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium’. (I love that movie).

Mahoney says to Henry:

“You’re a ‘just’ guy…

you think it’s just a store,

it’s just a bench, it’s just a tree.

It’s just what it is, nothing more!”

It’s shallow and thoughtless. There is no ‘just’. A lot of people can’t ‘just’ pick it up off the rack.

I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I’ve thought all too often, “Apparently plus size women have no style!” I realize now that the issue does not reside with us plus sized women. Iit resides with the buyers and designers.

Plus-sized women of every age want the same opportunity to wear stylish apparel that is flattering to their body type.

I like looking good, and I want practical clothes that work for my life. Especially my travel life. Travelers need natural fabrics that are light weight and quick drying. In three years of living in Australia, I have found one pair of quality travel pants that fit reasonably well. I still had to take up the legs by several inches

The world seems to be becoming more comfortable with the idea that not everyone is supermodel-thin and instead, seeing people as they really are. If the mainstream fashion industry is slow to react to this growing trend, the pace for manufacturers in the travel industry is glacial.

For instance, I saw a Women’s 16 fleece in a shop the other day that would likely only fit a 12-year-old girl. Technology will help to bridge some of the gaps as manufacturers become more automated and driven by real world data. On-Line merchants also hold some promise of narrowing the gap between fit and style.

From experience I know that I have to prepare for every eventuality when I pack. I make sure that everything layers, has multiple functions and that everything I have in my bag will suit any occasion. I adapt my packing list to suit my trip. I pack one or two extra things and throw in a small tube of washing detergent and a portable clothesline, so that I’m not caught short. I certainly don’t need another throw away skirt!

I have tested the theory. Never ever think you can ‘pick something up’ when you are a curvaceous traveler. I look forward to choice when it comes to plus sized clothing. In the meantime, I think it’s best to be prepared instead.

I have found some handy links for buying plus-size online. But like everyone, sometimes you just need to try it on first! (I’m not affiliated with any of these, just some lovely online shops I’ve found)

Target – They can be a hit or miss, especially as the seasons change, but I do have some key pieces in my wardrobe from Target.

Old Navy– Surprisingly Old Navy have been my staple for t-shirts for years. Again, they can be a hit or miss, but most of the time when I’m in the U.S., I’ll stop in to replace old Ts which have finally worn out. (I wear t-shirts practically every day!)

Here’s a great site – travelfashiongirl – that I’ve also found recently. So far, I’m liking it. I’m going to explore it more in the coming weeks and see what they have to offer.

Are you curvaceous and found great clothes that totally rock your world?

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Tara Marlow is the founder/writer/photographer/creative genius behind www.TravelFarEnough.com.
She's ditched the desk, emptied the nest and now she's embarking on a new adventure to find herself in the world, inspiring others, like herself, to do the same. She's now travelling the world full time.
Since March 2017, she has completed a 10-month road trip through Australia; Spent 5 weeks solo road tripping through New Zealand; She drove solo from L.A. to Chicago via Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, Santa Fe and Texas; She has spent time on the south coast of Iceland; She's explored various parts of the U.K.; She walked almost 800km across Spain, walking the Camino de Santiago; 3 weeks were spent discovering Japan; And now she's someone in the world, planning the next adventure (and capturing her breath, most likely!).
You can find Travel Far Enough on the web, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
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OMG this is my biggest complaint about travel packing articles! I always think yeah, you try to find a bra to fit me in Asia. It is a very arrogant attitude and it’s not just if you are plus size. Maybe you work out a lot, maybe you are super tall, maybe you have large feet. If you’re a retailer in Asia and 99% of your customers are within the tiny range then you are not going to carry plus sizes. That’s fair enough but it’s something that should be acknowledged.

Btw. I was planning a blog post on this very issue and now I feel like I’d be ripping you off 🙁

I’ve recently found kiyonna.com I ordered several of their shrugs and tops. Very flattering and feminine. Also, the website unique-vintage.com has some really pretty plus size clothing. The sizing is different on all of the clothing though so check the measurements when ordering.

I have looked about and have had varied success with the following:
Ezibuy are a catalogue company, ezibuy.com.au and while they have concessions in department stores,the bulk of their business is online.
Birdsnest enables search by body shape http://www.birdsnest.com.au/
Dream diva is varied http://www.dreamdiva.com.au
Zulily is varied.
Higher end is zebrano – NZ designers offer layered looks, and
Ts14 -http://takingshape.com.au have varied styles including merino basic scoop neck 3/4 tees that are super warm without bulk that wash and wear well. Kathmandu offer women’s thermals up to xl and I am a size 20 and bought some when I took up rowing last year (it’s chilly in winter at 5:30am on the water).

Hope this gives an idea of the range available – it is a shame you have to be creative when searching for clothes you are right – you can’t just pick it up – you have to be prepared.

Lisa

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Hey guys! Tara here.

I've ditched the (corporate) desk, emptied the nest and now I'm on a Worldwide Trek.

Since leaving Australia in early 2018, I've road tripped from the South Island to the North Island of New Zealand. Driven from San Francisco to L.A., over to Texas then up to Chicago. I've been to Iceland and the U.K. I've walked almost 800 km across Spain on the Camino de Santiago. I've spent time in Japan, returned to Australia briefly for a few housesits, then headed back to the U.S. and on to Canada (first time) for 2.5 months for more adventures.... And there's more wanders and more adventures planned...

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